Talks at Google: the videos Hacker News recommends
Not the channel's most viewed videos: the ones HN commenters kept linking with real commentary. The top pick, "Republic, Lost | Lawrence Lessig | Talks at Google", a perennial HN recommendation whenever lobbying, SOPA, taxes or political corruption come up, with several commenters saying it changed their views.
- 10 HN recommenders 11 months 2011–2017talkA perennial HN recommendation whenever lobbying, SOPA, taxes or political corruption come up, with several commenters saying it changed their views.
- 9 HN recommenders 10 months 2018–2026talkHN commenters recommend it as a pointed critique of philanthropy and win-win thinking, delivered inside Google itself, and cite it across threads on wealth, tax and tech power.
- 11 HN recommenders 10 months 2018–2026talkHN treats it as the standard one-hour teaser for the book and recommends it for its deep-modules thinking before buying or reading the book.
- 8 HN recommenders 9 months 2016–2022talkFrequently recommended in threads on nutrition, cancer and veganism as a science-focused case for plant-based diets, with at least one commenter saying it made them go vegan.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2013–2024talkHN recommends it as an 80-minute way to get the gist of the book and a different view of what money is.
- 8 HN recommenders 7 months 2018–2023talkPraised as a charismatic, engaging talk with practical security lessons, like why credit cards protect you better than debit cards.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2019–2025talkHN points people to it as the clearest single video on simple, long-term index fund investing.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2011–2022talkRecommended in diet and weight-loss threads as the accessible case for the carbohydrate-insulin view of obesity.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2026lectureHN commenters share it as an accessible case for worker cooperatives and workplace democracy as a model for a modern left.
- 4 HN recommenders 6 months 2012–2026talkIt is HN's go-to reference whenever device lockdown, DRM, or restrictions on installing software come up, with commenters noting how prescient it was.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2021talkOften the first thing suggested to HN programmers asking about posture and back pain.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2025talkRecommended to people with chronic pain, fatigue or RSI as a rigorous but balanced case that pain does not always mean injury.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2014talkStrongly recommended as a gripping hour on K2 and on leadership and summit fever in extreme conditions.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2022talkHN commenters recommend it for the finding that idea exchange and connectivity drive productivity and wealth, which they apply to cities, offices and online communities.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2010–2016talkHN commenters point to it in discussions of shorter workweeks and productivity, arguing that rest and energy matter more than hours.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2023talkRecommended as a one-hour substitute for the book's opening chapters for those short on time.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2022talkRecommended as a relatively clear introduction to Zizek's thinking, especially his account of ideology and unknown knowns.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2019talkHN suggests it as an easy alternative to the book for people who want Walker's sleep findings.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2021talkShared as the author's own hour-long overview of his aging research, though some commenters doubt that the book's claims hold up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026talkRecommended as a clear description of how Kanban works and a practical alternative to sprints.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022talkHN commenters link it in housing and urbanism threads as a clear explanation of unsustainable car-oriented development and fragile systems.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2016talkHN cites it in MBTI threads as an attempt to link personality types to measurable brain activity patterns.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2026talkHN commenters cite it for Pinker's analysis of profanity and of why talking about taboo words differs from using them.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2017talkUsed as a source for Searle's own argument in Chinese room discussions, though some find nothing new in it.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2024talkReferenced in threads about disruption and incumbents as a clear statement of his theories.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2026comedy videoHN mentions it mainly for Conan's roasting of the interviewer and Google's leadership, not for any informational content.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021talkRecommended as the protocol designer's own detailed explanation of SCP.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023talkRecommended as an approachable case that the Everett (many-worlds) interpretation is the simplest reading of quantum mechanics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2024talkPointed to as an accessible introduction to intuition pumps as thinking tools, and shared in remembrance after Dennett's death.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2022talkHN commenters link it as a source on Babbage's machines, especially for the section around minute 36 on Ada Lovelace's insight beyond numeric computation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2018talkHN commenters bring it up in economics and politics threads as a historical critique of austerity policy and the thinking behind it.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2023talkHN mentions it mostly in passing as a Taleb talk on market volatility and predicting crises.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022talkHN cites it for first-hand ARM history, including Thumb's origin, and for Jaggar's endorsement of RISC-V.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2019talkCited to support the view that human progress comes from networks and social learning.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2024talkHN uses it mainly as the place where Stephenson addresses criticism of his novels' endings, plus as a fun author talk with jokes.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2018talkHN commenters point to it as an easy-to-grasp introduction to Chomsky's ideas on universal grammar and the language faculty.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2018talkRecommended for hearing Engelbart's vision of collaborative hypertext systems straight from him, including his view of Wikipedia.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2026talkHN refers to it for the moment where Knuth asks a question and addresses the Steve Jobs anecdote, a favorite geek moment.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2018talkHN mostly links it as background in political arguments or for a memorable moment, rather than as a recommendation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2008–2016talkReferenced for his answers on technology policy and the famous bubble sort question, and for comparing politics then and later.
- cited 5× 0 months 2012–2013talkLinked in threads about Kurzweil joining Google, mostly as a source for his exponential progress charts and his ambitions there.
Questions
Which Talks at Google video does Hacker News recommend most?
Republic, Lost | Lawrence Lessig | Talks at Google: recommended in 11 different months by 10 HN users between 2011 and 2017.
Is this every Talks at Google video?
No. Only videos that at least three different HN users linked, in at least three different months, with at least a sentence of their own commentary. That filter is what makes the list useful.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.